He’s a fresh face with a seasoned record of support for LGBT issues at the state house.
Earlier this year, Julian Cyr — former chair of the Massachusetts Commission in Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Queer Youth — stepped down from his job as director of policy and regulatory affairs for environmental health at the Massachusetts Department of Public Health to run for the state senate.
Cyr would fill the seat representing the Cape and Islands District currently occupied by Sen. Dan Wolf, who enthusiastically backs the young candidate. “I know Julian well,” said Wolf. “He’s been with me every step of the way during my time at the Senate. We have worked closely on legislative matters over the past six years and he has the relevant state experience to make a positive impact from day one.”
The Truro, Massachusetts native handily won the primary.
“We actually started running at the end of November 2015,” Cyr told a reporter in an October 30 Provincetown Banner article. “I did 2,000 knocks on doors in every single town on the Cape, also Martha’s Vineyard and Nantucket. I was definitely a new face so I took time to give my resume and tell people why I was running and it really works.”
The article went on to report:
“Nine tenths of the things you do as a state senator are the hard work of constituency stuff,” Cyr observed. “I haven’t held public office but I have the most direct experience working with the state Legislature and state government. If I have the job as state senator it’s not an executive level job. It’s a job working on tough issues asking how can the state help on these issues. I’ve been through six budgets in the Legislature. I understand bureaucracy and how to get things done.” …
“One of the largest issues facing Massachusetts is the cost of healthcare,” Cyr said. “Healthcare costs are the largest driver of the state budget. Also we need infrastructure. We need an honest conversation about revenue. That’s why I support the fair share (plan) where people who earn more than $1 million will pay a slightly higher rate of income tax. We need to remain a dynamic place. We need to remain competitive and there is a lot of work to do around poverty alleviation. You can go to many communities and not everyone is benefiting and not everyone is able to make it. We’ve got to work to make sure everyone is lifted up.” …
“We need to make sure Massachusetts is a leader in equality, fairness and justice,” he said. “That’s something I’ve spent time on and we need to keep it up. We can’t rest on our laurels and that’s kind of what we’re doing.”
He’s looking forward to starting a new job in November.
“The way the Senate does business is so specific. It’s a steep learning curve to even understand how the budget process takes place. There are hundreds of line items and you have to figure what line item is important to you,” Cyr said. “I understand the job I’m getting into. We are knocking on doors, communicating with voters engaging stalwart community leaders. We have two great candidates for state Senate and my job is to make sure as many people as possible know me.”
